Sunday, May 3, 2015

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 5-4-15

Head to either blog to find reviews as well as dozens of links to other blogs filled with reviews!

Books I Read this Week:

The Terrible Two by Jory John and Mac Barnett

illustrated by Kevin Cornell

Amulet Books, 2015

Humorous

217 pages

Recommended for grades 3-6

Oh my word, this book annoyed me so much from the first page to the....well, I don't know when. But somewhere along the way the annoying cow references and the annoying principal and the annoying writing style of staccato sentences and the not endearing characters, clicked for me, and then I loved it. How did they do that, that trio of guys?

I will surely be sharing this one with students, I can see it being a big hit for readers that love Wimpy Kid, Timmy Failure, and the likes.

Meet the Dullards by Sara Pennypacker

illustrated by Daniel Salmieri

Balzer + Bray, 2015

Picture book: Humorous

What to say about this book...odd. And strangely sad. Though it's not meant to be sad, that is just my weird take on the book. I'm going to read it to my 3rd graders at Morning Meeting to get a genuine kid reaction. I am sure they will think it is quite funny!

My Secret Bully by Trudy Ludwig

illustrated by Abigail Marble

RiverWood Books, 2003

Picture Book: Realistic Fiction

Recommended for grades 2+

I requested this book from the library in hopes of reading it to my students. I was excited to find a book featuring a bully that isn't the typical mean tough kid. This bully is a close friend of the main character. Girls can be pretty rough on each other, and this book exemplifies that. I am anxious to see the reactions of my students after sharing this book together.

3 comments:

It is interesting reading your comments on The Terrible Two. It was a book I abandoned because I couldn't stand the characters. Perhaps I will go and give them another chance. My secret bully is a great book, but then, anything Trudy Ludwig writes is worth reading!

I think I found The Terrible Two kind of annoying all the way through but could imagine lots of readers to share it with, and I do love that. I appreciate another book that fans of the series you mentioned will enjoy. I need to buy the Trudy Ludwig book. Such powerful conversations can be had after reading her books.

Hi there Nicole, looks like the Trudy Ludwig book is perfect for a talk that I am giving about bullying and picturebooks late this month. Will have to find this title to see whether I can include in my multicultural text-set. :)